Masks
by Yokomi
Summary: No matter the man, we all wear masks... either on our faces or over our hearts. (But Kakashi wears both.)


**Author's Notes:** Hello! This is just a one-shot I thought about when I read a certain quote. Hope you enjoy!

 **Disclaimer:** I OWN NOTHING!

 **Masks**

After nine years of living in this world and gaining not a little bit of experience, Hatake Kakashi could say that everyone, _everyone_ , wore masks. Minato-sensei, Kushina-san, Rin, and even Obito, who was the kind of person who wore his heart on his sleeve. He could always see it in their eyes, just how many secrets can one keep anyways? How many acts can one put up, before they ultimately went crazy?

His nine years of knowledge could not help him answer those questions.

He vaguely remembered asking his teacher something along those lines two or three years ago.

 _"Hey, Sensei?" he asked, eyes bright and curious and needing an answer, "Why do people wear masks?" But Sensei looked at him with a confused stare._

 _"You wear a mask, 'Kashi. Why do you wear it?" His question kind of made young Kakashi want to bang his head against the wall._

 _"Not like mine," he said instead with a sigh, "Over their hearts," Then, Minato-sensei had a certain gleam in his eyes, one that told Kakashi that he finally understood what he was asking and even knew the answer to his question._

But Minato-sensei did not answer that day. He only ruffled his hair and told him he would know with time. So Kakashi waited for the time he would understand. He was curious, but he was also patient. During the last few years since that day, Kakashi found out two things that could help him find an answer to his query.

One was that masks had something to do with a person's emotions, which stumped Kakashi more than it helped him. He could never understand his own emotions… so how could he possibly understand what others were feeling?

Two was that masks had to do with someone's past. He noticed people were always hiding facts, _truths_ , which happened to them once upon a time. An event that was important to them, but probably meant _nothing_ to others.

But he still couldn't understand _why_ they wore so many masks and put up so many acts.

He discovered a bit more about people and masks when he was ten and a newly-promoted Jonin.

It was his first mission. They had to destroy Kannabi Bridge; a simple mission, really. The only risks that accompanied this mission was the fear of the Rock ninja attacking them, but that was Minato-sensei's problem to deal with. All was going well after Minato-sensei left him, Rin and Obito.

Up until Rin went and got herself captured.

Obito, dumb, stupid, _crybaby_ Obito, somehow found a way to convince him to go back for Rin. Then, all hell broke loose. Kakashi lost an eye, Obito awakened his Sharingan, they were able to rescue Rin, then the roof crumbled and rocks started falling, and _have-to-get-out-before-it's-too-late._

Then, that rock fell and he stumbled, and Kakashi was sure he was a goner. But then, something pushed him and he got all sorts of scratches on his arms and legs. Kakashi looked around and felt pain, although he was unhurt outwardly.

But Obito was _right_ _there_ , and he could barely see him; he was crushed under a rock that looked like it weighed a thousand tons. Kakashi felt like crying, but he couldn't.

That was when Kakashi put a mask over his heart, _the first mask_.

The second one was put in place too soon after that when, not two years later, he found his hand sticking through his teammate's chest, a Raikiri in place and blood gushing out the wound in gallons.

Now that he had not one but _two_ masks over his heart, Kakashi understood more about the masks. He understood _why_ people put them in the first place.

If he thought about it, however, Kakashi had _three_ masks now, including the one obscuring his face. He knew all too well why he put _that_ one in place. _(He remembered long hair pulled into a ponytail and dark eyes filled with love and pride, then, he remembered messy long hair and dark eyes filled with pain and loss… and he couldn't bear to look at the face that looked like his father's.)_

He thought he'd stop putting masks after that point. He had enough already in place, right?

But fate had other plans, and the Kyuubi struck and took everything he loved with it. The village he would die to protect was left a wasteland of broken homes and forgotten dreams. The people in it lacked their usual bubbliness and cheer because _the war was over_ ; they mourned their losses and dead sons and daughters instead.

However, most importantly, Minato-sensei decided to play the hero and save the village, ending his own life in the process. Thus, the fourth mask was put in place, and Kakashi hoped it was the last he'd have to place.

Then, Sandaime-sama decided it was time for him to get a team (Kakashi failed many just to spite him) and Team 7 was born.

Sakura _(Rin)_ with her nice smile and unbreakable will. Naruto _(Obito)_ with his mischievous grin and big dreams. Sasuke _(himself)_ with his deep frown and misguided goals. He hated them, he really did.

They did missions together, ate as a team, and bickered (they did a _lot_ of that) like one as well.

Later, Sasuke decided to leave the village and go after his brother. Naruto tried to get him back, he _promised_ Sakura. He was defeated, so he left to become stronger. Sakura, his last remaining student, he abandoned, there was nothing he could teach her _(He was only bad luck, anyways)._

Kakashi put too many masks after that; he lost count of how many he had now.

After twenty-nine years of living in this world and gaining not a little bit of experience, Hatake Kakashi could say that everyone, _everyone_ , wore masks. Sakura, Naruto, Sasuke and even himself, who was the kind of person who was forever shadowed by bad luck. He could always see it in their eyes, just how many secrets can one keep anyways? How many acts can one put up, before they ultimately went crazy?

His twenty-nine years of knowledge could help him answer those questions.

He vaguely remembered asking his teacher something along those lines twenty-two or twenty-three years ago.

But Minato-sensei did not answer that day. He only ruffled his hair and told him he would know with time. So Kakashi waited for the time he would understand. He was curious, but he was also patient.

And now, he thought he finally understood. He did not understand emotions at all, but he understood what it meant to have a terrible past and horrible memories.

To him, that's reason enough to wear masks, as much as you need. Some people say the more you have, the crazier you are.

But Kakashi had more masks than anyone he knew, and he was relatively sane.

Thus, he guessed it's fine to have masks… as long as no one knows they're there.

 **Author's Notes:** That's it! Hope you liked reading this! Please tell me what you thought! R&R!


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